LETTERS: NCT, July 3, 2012

My fellow Americans, fear not, we have overcome days of infamy in our noble past and we shall survive this one. The sleeping giant within us and his critical mass shall rise again and vanquish our imperialistic adversaries.

Those who seek to suppress and/or deny our basic rights and current desires:
deus vult
(the Holy Roman Empire's war cry at the beginning of the First Crusade).

George Tremain

Carlsbad

Stockton bankruptcy

Everybody knows that the city of Stockton went bankrupt, but does everybody understand why? Here's one reason: In 2005, the city opened a new sports arena and a new minor league ballpark, costing about $100 million for the two, financed by municipal bonds. Who benefited? The owners of the sports clubs benefited.

Who lost when revenue projections didn't work out? The city, the bond holders (typically insurance companies, retirement funds, people who invest in "tax free municipal bonds"), city employees, city retirees and the city taxpayers.

This should be a cautionary tale for Escondido. The evidence is overwhelming, when taxpayers build sports venues in response to glowing promises by team owners and civic leaders, taxpayers always lose.

Gene Smith

Escondido

ID or no ID

So let's see if I have this right: The Obama Administration will need your identification for health care, so that they can tax you if you did not buy health insurance, but you can go vote with absolutely no ID.

Carlsbad gets two more luxury hotels and Oceanside gets a variety of lighted billboards. Our signs can now advertise for tourists to visit Carlsbad's luxury hotels. Good job.

Shirley Coates

Oceanside

Moonlight is now 'money machine'

I recently read of the city of Vista's success at turning the Moonlight Amphitheater into the "Moonlight Money Machine."

After cramming in as many seats as possible, reducing the grass seating that most families enjoyed and significantly increasing the admission prices, the city has now decided it wants a monopoly on alcoholic drinks at the amphitheatre. The thinly veiled excuse of being "prohibited" by the Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control has turned out to not be accurate.

If the catering company was not able to obtain insurance because of serving liquor, why didn't they just refrain from serving it? Possibly it's because alcoholic drinks provide the biggest profit margin? Not to mention the city's cut of $1-plus-per-wine sale and 50-cents-per-beer ---- a tidy sum to add to the city coffers.

Of course, the patrons of the theater won't mind shelling out a few more dollars to the city; they already are paying for the theater over the next 30 years.

Sadly, since the venue my family and friends all enjoyed so much is no longer there, I regret that you'll not find us there either. Just curious ---- how many beers does it take to replace the price of each admission?

James Manning

Vista

A bowl of raspberries to the NCT

A whole bowl of raspberries to the North County Times editorial staff for their raspberry to Escondido for the "New Leaf" sculpture "E" on Centre City Parkway, and for leading people to believe that the money spent could have kept the library open or do other more important things ("Roses and raspberries: A 'we know what we (don't) like' raspberry," June 25).

The money for the sculpture was from an art fund that could not be used for anything else. The editorial writer should have known that.

As far as the sculpture itself, in my opinion, it is a beautiful, classy entry welcome to a city that does not have nearly enough of these kinds of things.

Terry Badger

Escondido

Bigotry against President Obama

His name is Barack Hussein Obama. His detractors must wonder how a person with a name such as that can be elected as president of the United States. It doesn't sound "American."

His detractors have tossed aside all civil discourse and resorted to scurrilous and inflammatory comments. In letters to this very newspaper, he has been labeled "vermin," "evil," "a liar," "a Marxist," "a Communist," "a socialist," "a dictator," "anti-religion" and "anti-American."

Bigotry has raised its ugly head to a frightening level.

Ronald Kenney

Escondido

WOOF program is a good start

In my letter in the North County Times (
June 26
), I was hoping that the city of San Francisco's WOOF: Wonderful Opportunities for Occupants and Fidos program had requirements for panhandlers to become "foster parents" for their shelter dogs and get paid $75 a week from the city.

I just learned from a friend's daughter in San Francisco that there are eight requirements for the program: Applicants must live in a supportive house and not on the street, prove they are not severely mentally ill, not be hoarders, have no history of violence, not be seeking treatment for addictions. The applicant must pledge to stop panhandling; if the applicant is caught begging, the dog is returned to the animal shelter. Both must attend several training sessions by animal behavior specialists at Animal Care and Control, and the applicant and dog are to have regular "check-ins" with an Animal Care and Control specialist.

The accepted applicants will receive $50 to $75 a week, and all dog food, toys, leashes and veterinary care are covered by the WOOF program. I'm sure there will be problems, but it's a start. I do hope WOOF is a success.

Gary Myers

Oceanside

He's curious about teen's view

I am curious as to why a teenager (Karis Tanksley,
June 23
) would be weighing in on the rent control issue.

Those of us who live in rent controlled mobile-home parks have yearly rent raises, also water, sewer and electric raises. We don't have a "free ride," as some seem to insinuate.

The way Karis treats her elders now is how she will be treated when she gets older.

William Lyons

Oceanside

The truth always hurts

Gov. Rick Scott is being persecuted by Eric Holder and the Department of Justice. Mr. Scott is making a valid attempt to purge illegal voters, deceased voters, etc., from Florida voting roles. This process is a common-sense approach to quash voter fraud.

Mr. Holder at the DOJ is making this a racial issue. If Mr. Holder thinks Florida has strict requirements, he should take a look at the Social Security Administration requirements. To even enter a Social Security building, you must have a photo ID. In most states, to buy a pack of cigarettes or pick up medications from the pharmacy, you must have a valid photo ID.

So who is Mr. Holder fooling? What is the problem with having voters produce photo ID? I carry my photo ID every day. I work on a military installation, and it is a requirement if you want to enter the base. Mr. Holder is pandering to the minorities to gain votes for President Obama. The truth always hurts. This is another great example of the current administration's chicanery to fool the American public.

The American public is not as stupid as President Obama and his minions believe. The old saying goes, "fool me once ... " The American public has been fooled once. Hopefully not twice.

Jim Lowery

Vista

GOP needs to show some patriotism

In my 85 years I have lived in seven countries ---- some of them Third World countries, one of which, Fiji, peacefully achieved independence from Great Britain while I was there. I still watch the goings-on in the Brit House of Commons and wonder that they manage to keep things moving ---- but they do.

When we went to war in 1939, we did the sensible thing: put politics aside and worked together under a coalition government.

Now I live in the United States as a legal resident, and I can't help watching in amazement the attitudes of the political parties of a country which boasts of its "democratic" processes. From the moment President Obama was inaugurated, the Republican Party has openly avowed he would be a "one-term" president, regardless. They appear to have no concern for the perilous economic situation the country is in ---- a situation that did not just occur as President Obama got to the White House ---- nor for the plight of a large portion of the populace.

I believe the Republican Party should put its selfish, stagnating attitude aside and show some patriotism instead. "United States" appears to be a misnomer right now

Rob Sulsh

Oceanside

Sad state of affairs

First, it was Solyndra of California ($529 million). Then it was Beacon Power of Massachusetts ($43 million). Now it's Abound Solar of Colorado ($400 million). Just another billion-plus dollars wasted by the U.S. Energy Department.

This is called the "stimulus law" money for "clean energy." For that amount, we could have done something, anything, and have something to show for it. Solyndra can't even get its bankruptcy done within the court's time frame, as they've asked for an extension.

It's a sad state of affairs, but this cabinet-department position is not under any pressure to get things right. If it was a "regular" job/company, it would be fired or out of business. Besides the secretary of energy, did Obama hire an energy "czar"? There's so many, I can't remember them all.

Gene Kennedy

Oceanside

What a 'commonwealth' would mean

I have been developing the thought that capitalism must be subordinated to the best interests of the people. I arrived at the commonwealth concept and define it as all the resources of the land and its people being subject to their best interests, the gain of capital notwithstanding. The standard of capital gain is that it does not take away from the value of labor, which may not diminish, with respect to its quality and demand.

But that means no longer subordinating real-life values beneath material gain and prosperity. It means putting spiritual and moral value back on top, a sacrifice Americans may not be willing to make. A true commonwealth is not just material, but also spiritual, and the obvious trade-off is the material for moral license, which means common decency must go. Ask yourself if the right thing means decency must get out of the way. We cannot just say a commonwealth will correct the economy. Along with that comes the requirement that the displaced true value must be put back.

Even the trade-off is a fraud because only its perpetrators prosper, leaving the cheated people increasingly destitute and burdened with rising contrived debt.

Edward Karlson

Oceanside

Had enough of George

To James Strong (
June 28
): Yes, I, too, read the same informative articles as he; therefore, I know of George W. Bush's time flown. In knowing that, I implied that he would have been checked out, regardless of time flown.

Speaking of time flown: Were his hours in the rear seat and, two, where did he get them, as he was AWOL for a year from flight training?

Please, no more, Mr. Strong. I've had enough of George.

Harry Titus

Oceanside

Individual rights destroyed

The Supreme Court has ruled that adding a tax to something otherwise unconstitutional makes it constitutional.

Daniel Webster and John Marshall were right: "The power to tax is the power to destroy." In this case, it is our individual rights.